Automobile sleigh.



No. 831,820. PATENTED SEPT. 25, 1906.

B. BESKOW.

AUTOMOBILE SLEIGH.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.3. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

8 woe/14101 No. 881,820. PATENTBD SEPT. 25, 1906. B. BBSKOW.

AUTOMOBILE SLEIGH.

APPLICATION FILED 0013,1905

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

THE mamas PETERS 4-0., wAsmNsrau, o c

BERNHARD BESKOW, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA,

AUTOMOBILE SLEIGH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 25, 1906.

Application filed October 3, 1905. Serial No. 281,170.

To all 101mm fr DMZ/U concern.

Be it known that I, BERNI-IARD Bnsxow, a cltlzen of the United States,residlng at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State ofCalifornia, have invented certam new and useful Improvements 1n Auto- 7mobile Sleighs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to automechanicallypropelled vehicles, and moreparticularly to sleighs.

In certain sections of the country it is very desirable that sleighs beprovided with means for propelling them automatically or byselfcontained power, whereby they may be used. commercially upon thestreets or roads or for pleasure, the latter purpose including their usemore particularly upon the ice of rivers or other large bodies of water.I accomplish these objects by taking advantage of the resistance tomovement in a straight line that is offered by an object set obliquelyor at an angle to that line and where there is normally but littlefriction, as upon snow or ice, by causing the resisting object to enterthe surface over which propulsion is to be made. It is a well-known factthat in skat ing a person of light weight can pull a comparatively heavyload by placing the edges of the skates at an angle to the direction inwhich the load is to be drawn.

In my Patent No. 694,303, February 25, 1902, I show and describe a wheelprovided with a plurality of sinuous or serpentine proj ections, as byproviding them with tires or rims or by making the tread concave incrosssection, which projections are adapted to enter the surface overwhich the vehicle is passing and, owing to their inclination to the lineof travel, to offer sufficient resistance to prevent slippage, even whenpassing over snow or ice. The tendency for such inclinedresisting-propeller to move laterally is counteracted in said wheel bylocating the corresponding curves of the sinuosities opposite eachother.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown an embodiment of my invention,in which a sleigh or sled is provided with one of my wheels and withmeans for operating the same.

Figure 1 is a side elevation. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional viewwith the bed or body portion omitted. Fig, 3 is a top plan view of thesame. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view through the front runnerslooking toward the rear.

In constructing a sleigh in accordance with my invention the frame 1 ofthe top or body portion is mounted upon runners 2 in any ordinarymanner, two sets of runners at each end being shown in the drawings andthe front ones pivoted, as at 3. WVhere the runners are pivoted,check-straps 1 are provided to prevent the ends from tipping too far ineither direction. The sleigh is preferably steered by changing thecourse or direction of one of the sets of runners relatively to theframe 1, preferably the front set, which is done by means of theordinary steering-rod 5, which actuates the arms 6 and 7 through therods 8 and 9. The arms are rigidly con nected with pivots or trunnions10, that project up through suitable perforations in the frame 1 fromthe bolsters 11, to which the runners are flexibly connected by thepivot 3.

Pivotally connected at its front end to the front bar of the frame, asby a pivot 12, is a motor-support, preferably consisting of a floor orplatform 13, on which is placed the source of power, as storagebatteries 14 and a motor 15, when the sleigh is to be driven byelectricity. The central portion of the platform is cut away or providedwith an opening, as shown at 16, within which. is mounted the propelleror motive element-preferably one or more of my patented wheels, ashereinbefore specified. The axle of the wheel is journaled in bearings17 upon opposite sides of the openings, so as to hold the wheelvertical, and it is provided with means for connecting it with the motor15, preferably by means of an internal gear 18 on its rim, the sprocket19, and chain 20. The periphery of the wheel is preferably centrallyrecessed or concaved circumferentially, as shown at 21, which formswalls or projections 22. These walls are bent or curved transversely, soas to form a duplex laterally-sinuous bearing-surface in which thelateral sinuosities of the respective parts coincide reversely. Theperiphery of each of these treads or bearingsurfaces is made sharpenough to cut into the snow or ice, and thereby propel the sleighforward when the wheel is rotated. The face of each of these treads ispreferably recessed or concaved circumferentially, which will form twoparallel sharp cutting edges 22 or four edges for each wheel. In runningthe sleigh over comparatively soft snow the large or central depression21 will pack it down hard enough to afford sufiicient resistance topropel the sleigh forward and when running upon ice or smooth packedsnow the engagement therewith of the sharp edges will propel the sleigh.

Mounted upon the outer frame 1 is a box or bed 23 of the sleigh, whichmaybe made as ornamental as desired and provided with one or more seats24. The platform 13 is inclosed within the box and is preferably higherthan the frame 1, which causes it to be completely hidden and alsopermits of the use of a large wheel-with a low outside frame. This isaccomplished by providing the forward end of the platform with dependingperforated cars 25, through which is passed the pivot-bolt 12.

By constructing a sleigh in this manner it will present a very neatappearance and can be driven at a very rapid speed over snow or ice, andif the road should be rough or uneven the wheel and runners by means ofthe pivotal connection will accommodate them: selves to the inequalitiesof the road, as shown in dotted lines at 26 in Fig. 2. By placing themotor and storage batteries or other source of power on the platformtheir weight is added to the weight of the Wheel and itssupporting-frame, and thereby the tractive power and efliciency of thewheel is correspondingly increased. In the drawings the connection ofthe motor with the wheel is shown as being in front of the axle, but ofcourse it can be made at any point to suit conditions or circumstances.

Having described my invention, what I claim asnew, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

' 1. In a sleigh, a runner-supported frame, a rotary propeller pivotallymounted thereon, the periphery of which is centrally recessedcircumferentially, forming oppositely-curved platform pivotally securedthereto, a wheel journaled in the platform and having a plurality ofendless, sharp, oppositely-located, curved surfaces, and means forapplying power to said wheel downward in front of its axle, and adjacentto the periphery.

3: In a sleigh, a frame, a plurality of run- 11ers therefor, a platformpivotally secured at its forward end to the frame and provided with anopening, a wheel mounted in said opening and having a plurality ofoppositelylocated, reversely-curved, sharp, engaging surfaces, and amotor on the platform for actuating said wheel.

4. In a sleigh, a frame, the forward end of which is provided withbolsters, runners for the bolsters and for the rear end of the frame,means for swinging .the bolsters in unison to guide the sleigh, aplatform pivotally secured at its forward end to the frame and providedwith an opening, a driving-wheel mounted vertically in said opening, anda motor on the platform for actuating said wheel.

5. In a sleigh, a frame, two bolsters at the forward end, each providedwith a pivot proj ecting through the frame, an arm secured to the upperend of each pivot, a rod for connecting said arms, means for actuatingsaid arms, a pair of runners at each end of the frame, the ones in frontbeing pivotally secured to the bolsters, and driving mechanism pivotallymounted in the frame.

In testimony whereof I affixed my signature, in presence of twoWitnesses, this 14th day of September, 1905.

BERNHARD BESKOW. Witnesses:

M. R. SEELY, F. M. BARTEL.

